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William Wilkinson breaks down Mississippi State decision

IMG_4594by:Tanner Marlar•12/22/23•

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Wilkinson
Mississippi State signee William Wilkinson (18)

The Mississippi State football special teams unit has seen a facelift with the young talent on the roster, headlined by true freshman Kyle Ferrie. Now, the Bulldogs have added another piece to that room that could have an immediate impact.

William Wilkinson of Oxford high school announced his commitment to State as a PWO this week on signing day. The Chargers finished this year with a playoff run, and Wilkinson’s leg was a big part of it. Now, Wilkinson and his family are prepping for him to make the move south to Starkville.

“My whole family, parents, grandparents, everybody, is so excited for me and for this opportunity. We’ve already said we’re going to have to invest in some maroon and some cowbells,” said Wilkinson.

In 11 games this year, Wilkinson went 10/14 on field goals with one being blocked, 35/35 on PAT’s, averaged 42.2 yards per punt with his longest coming in at 61 yards, had an 84% touchback rate (39/46) and placed 16 punts inside the opposing 20 while going 3/4 on onside attempts in 11 games.

Wilkinson broke down his decision to come to Mississippi State on a PWO and spoke about what he looks forward to as a Bulldog.

“Most kickers come on as a PWO, so that doesn’t play into it too much,” said Wilkinson. “I’m just excited to get down to Starkville and get to work. I haven’t gotten to meet the new special teams coach yet, but he did text me and we plan to get on a call today.”

When it comes to Ferrie, Wilkinson said he’s excited to get to work with someone he’s already somewhat familiar with.

“I’ve seen him on Twitter and stuff, and he seems like a great teammate and a guy that’s going to be really fun to work with. I just can’t wait to get started,” said Wilkinson.

What stands out

I watched Wilkinson go to work several times this year, and each time I came away thinking “that’s a power five kicker.” In Oxford’s first game this year against Lafayette County, we awarded Wilkinson our player of the game for netting three field goals and never allowing Lafayette to return a kickoff. Each one sailed out the back of the end zone.

Wilkinson has as strong a leg as any high school kicker I’ve seen and is incredibly accurate. He managed several field goals from 40-plus yards out this year, and can hit from that distance with relative ease.

For a while, the special teams unit at Mississippi State needed a facelift. Now, with Ferrie and Wilkinson on the roster for what is hopefully years to come, that facelift is just about handled and should be in good hands for a few years to come.

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